Personal wireless communications via mobile radio frequency devices, such as cellular radio frequency handsets, have been increasingly displacing personal communications via the traditional wired telephone system, often referred to as the plain old telephone service (POTS). The trend has been supported by the increased convenience of wireless communications, which has been made possible by the maturing of the wireless network, where at least the last link in the network, prior to the user, is wireless. A last link which is wireless, increasingly enables the user to be more mobile relative to the network. The increased mobility has at least in part been supported by the build out of the network, which has provided better coverage over more and larger geographical areas. More specifically, cellular base stations via which the mobile wireless devices can communicatively couple to the network, are constantly being added and/or updated, which in turn have been increasingly supporting enhanced network communication capabilities.
Generally, the cellular base stations are typically fixed geographically, and their corresponding positions are planned so as to each provide coverage in a particular area often referred to as a cell. The cells are often at least partially overlapping, in order that a device, which is exiting a first cell will have a period of time before exit, where the device is entering a new cell, and control of the communication can transition from the base station of the old cell to the base station of the new cell.
By cutting the cord to the network, devices that were previously fixed in place geographically, can now move about with a person as they transition between various locations, and attend to their various daily activities. As such, the devices are no longer primarily associated with a location, but are now generally associated with a particular individual.
However, mobility of the handsets requires that the position of the handsets be monitored relative to the various cellular base stations and their corresponding areas of coverage, so as to allow a device that is transitioning from one cellular coverage area to another cellular coverage area, to be able to better maintain a communication connection with the network as control of the communication connection is passed between the various associated base stations. Because there is an inherent delay in the ability of the network to transfer control between base stations and their corresponding coverage areas, it is often helpful to be able to anticipate the need for an upcoming transfer in order to properly prepare for and execute the transfer.
Unfortunately, there may be instances where not all transfers occur as smoothly as intended, and the possibility can exist where service in the current cell can degrade before the network can properly transition control of an existing communication connection to a new cell. In such an instance, this can result in the communication connection failing, and the connection possibly being ultimately dropped. It may then be necessary for the mobile device to attempt to establish a new connection in order to support further communications between the mobile wireless communication device and the network. The communication protocols often have a built in period of time while the communication connection between the mobile device and the network is compromised, before the current communication link has been deemed to have failed, and the connection is dropped. In instances, where the communication connection was supporting the transmission of data only, the delay associated with the dropping of a failed connection and the establishment of a new connection may not be so readily noticed. However, in instances where the communication connection was supporting a voice communication, the interruption and/or delay may be more noticeable, and correspondingly more unacceptable. In at least some instances, the determination that a radio link in support of a communication connection has failed is made in the network.
The present inventors have recognized that by being able to monitor the availability of other potential serving cell base stations and by being able to predict an impending degradation of the current radio link, it may be possible to initiate a radio link abandonment in the user equipment and/or mobile wireless communication device in advance of a radio link failure, which can help reduce the time before a communication connection can be re-established in support of a new radio link.